Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-06-28
DAILY HERALD.
STATE TEXT BOOK.
The work Vtndtcated Agais'
Gross NIisrepResentattan

On my return to this city, alter shof
absence, found an elaborate article Il
the San Fran cisco Chronicle OF last Fri
day, grossly attacking me for my part Il
the State Text Book publications. VINO
ever got up this article was actuated D.
malice, and exhibits an unfrlendliness Il
the state Text Book scheme worthy oil
partisan of the old school book ring
He twists and distorts figures, and mis-
represents facts in order to reach a lore
gone conclusion. A short time since
the Chronicle published dispatch, from
this same source. we presume. in which
it was said that the State Board OF Edu
cation was greatly exercised over
shortage of S20,0 900 in the Text Book
Printing Department, and they didn'
know whether it had been spent by the
present incumbent or had net been left
in the treasury by State Printer Ayers.
These are not the exact words, but the
alternative idea conveyed was that was
defaulter to the fund to that amount.
Professor Ira More IA member OF the
Board) has since told me that there
never was such an idea broached or iui-
mated by the Board. | cite this merely
to let the public see what reliance is 10
be placed in whoever he is that furnishes
the Chronicle with periodical sensations
on the Text Book works. In this in
stance, propose 10 show that he has, by
misa ying tables, perverting iiguresand
taking the grossest license with estimates,
tried to nisead the people. and to IN.
iure public undertaking which is cal
culated to do an immense amount ct
good TO the community.
The writer, in order to lay basis tor
his attack upon the whole work, ana
especially ON me, goes back to the re
port made by me to the Senate In 1898.
/ made that report in response to a res
olution of the Senate requesting me to
furn sh an estimate of the cost OF print
ing a series of school books. pro-
cured estimates of the cost of binding
from leading bookbindtrs in San Fran
cisco and Sacramento, and figured up
the cost of paper, presswork, printing,
etc. In my report gave every detail
and item of cost, and the exact mode
in which | arrived at the gross amou It's
set forth. OF course took no account
of the cost of compilation, for there was
no way in which that could be got at
then. The Chronicle in introducing my
1883 table of estimates (which 1t sbame-
fully garbles, as will show, j says: "fhe
State is now learning, by costly expert
ence, that Ayers did not come, In bis
Efth nf VI hat the
books are now costing Let us see how
true this is. have not a copy OF that
report at hand, but will take the
Chronicles figures and deal only with
the books got out during my term, as
follows:
ESTIMATES OF 1858.
speller. 90 pages, per copy. ............ 0S @ sSS
First Reader, sc pages, per copy...... G9. 250
Second Reader, 1872, pages, per copy. de. ooo eo
Third Reader, 800 pages, per copy. zi.zoo
My estimates on the Speller
and First Reader, were for books
of common binding. The Board de-
termined to have all the books
bound alike, in fine cloth and well
finished. have supplied, in the above
table, from memory, the number OF
pages in each book. The Chronicle
carefully suppresses this fact and COM
pares the estimate of cost of those four
books, containing 7O4 pages, with the
four books got ont, containing total
of l,l2S pages. Now let us see how the
comparison will look, when accurately
made. l will premise by saying that
take the figures sent by me to the State
Board of Education, for the purpose of
enabling them to fix the price at which
they deemed the books should be sold
they spreading the cost of the plant and
compilation over series OF years
twelve, l believes:
ESTIMATE SENT TO THE BOARD.
speller,, 2co pages, per copy -. 10 aSn aSn
First Reader, Us pages per copy 5f 5fsd9 sn9
Second 2SS ~ ooI
Third " 5l2 -. 34.z5o
The excess of pages in each book ae.
tually got out, over those estimated
upon in 1883, is as follows: Speller, l04;
First Reader, 80; Second Reader, SO;
Third Reader, 1872. If the difference in
size and binding of the books is taken
into consideration, it will be seen that
the estimates of 1888 were not SO far
out of the way as might be expected IN
getting at the probable cost OF class OF
work that had not been done in this
State up to that time. The difference
in cost is 2S S25 cents over the original
estimate, and the increase in the number
of pages of the books actually made
over those originally estimated upon, is
424, or, in other words, the increase
in number of pages is over 60 per cent.
while the increase in cost is only AZ per
cent. Here are indisputable facts
to show that the cost of the text books
under my administration was actually less
than the estimate made by me IN 1883.
vet the Chronicle man has the cool au
dacity to tell the public that this esti
mate did not come "within one-tfth oi
what the books are now actually cost
inp! l might leave the misstatements o
the Chronicles writer with this triumph
ant refutation; but l prefer to examine
other of his perversions.
He then goes on to make his stool
comparison between my estimates o
1883 and the prices fixed upon the book
publshed-of course taking no notice
the 60 per cent. increase of the size OF th
books-and gives table showing, first
the number of books printed, the rate
which they are sold, and the tota
amount of money the State will receiv
for them. l reproduce the table:
Book. No. and Cost. Tota
First Readers. 49," 45,OC0(gl5c 6'om 6'oi